


More than the Mission

by theflyingdalek



Category: Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: 00Q - Freeform, M/M, but she can write angst, or at least she tries, tiffany cant write flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-14
Updated: 2012-11-16
Packaged: 2017-11-18 15:27:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/562564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflyingdalek/pseuds/theflyingdalek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's been starting at the door for eighteen minutes now, waiting for 007 to walk in, slightly bloodied, ready to turn in equipment that has been damaged beyond repair. He's been staring at the door even though he knows that James Bond will not walk through them for at least another four-point-five minutes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Embarrassment

**Author's Note:**

> Ah four years later, and I decided something needed to be changed. It's been bothering me for weeks now. That "I'm not one of your Bond girls" quote. Its such a ergh implication. I've switched it up into something I think is a bit better. I apologize for younger me's ergh-ness.

"This is how bad things get started", Q thinks as he peers over his mug of tea at the still closed door.

He's been starting at the door for eighteen minutes now, waiting for 007 to walk in, slightly bloodied, ready to turn in equipment that has been damaged beyond repair. He's been staring at the door even though he knows that James Bond will not walk through them for at least another four-point-five minutes. 

Q leans back into his chair, takes another sip of tea, and sighs. He sets his mug down and then picks it up again. He fidgets with his computer, absentmindedly rewriting a computer program designed to immediately open or lock automatic sliding doors by the choice of the user. He hears the doors slide open but does not look up. He tells himself that it is because of his underlings clicking away at their own computers, but he knows that if they haven't noticed his ridiculous preoccupation with this specific double-oh, then they don't deserve to be working at MI6.

Q doesn't expect to hear the light steps of 007 as he approaches the desk but assumes this is Bond's way of being friendly and attempting not to freak his new Quartermaster out. If only he knew.  
"Reporting to return your equipment, double-oh-seven?", Q asks without looking away from his screen.

He gets a deep chuckle in return as the secret agent drops two very charred looking items on Q's nearly spotless desk. Q adjusts his glasses and picks up what used to be a better than state-of-the-art smart phone and a gun which fired untraceable ice bullets. 

"I distinctly remember handing you three pieces of equipment, 007. In a flame retardant case", Q states and finally looks up to examine the state of the world's most exasperating secret agent.

Bond shrugs shamelessly. He looks better than he usually does when he returns from an assignment. There are a few visible cuts on his arms, but he looks relatively okay for a man who has spent the last six days hunting down assassins in the middle of nowhere. However, he does look tired, and Q would know, as Q has spent most of the past six days talking Bond through the mission and sitting at the end of his seat hoping that Bond would pull through again. 

Of course Bond pulled through, he always does, and he always will, until he doesn't. M told him that once, when Q was told that he was being assigned as Bond's Quartermaster. She told him to not take Bond's life as his own responsibility, but they both knew that she was saying the exact opposite. If Bond had died on his watch, M would have fired him on the spot. But that was the old M, and the new M was a bit different.

The new M had made Q promise to not let Bond get out of hand, and Q wasn't planning on letting that happen. But then again, James Bond tended to have plans of his own.

"I lost the case", Bond mentions with a smirk, snapping Q out of his really long train of thought, "and the pill canister."

Of course Bond had lost the pill canister which worked as a lock pick and a remote detonator of ten tiny pill shaped bombs, and which had taken Q months to perfect. Q openly scowled at the agent in front of him. 

"The next time you lose something that I have literally spent months working on you are going to find yourself with some very faulty equipment, agent. Perhaps I will even rig a pen to leak extremely staining ink onto one of your ridiculously fitted suits."

Bond raises his eyebrows. "It wouldn't do for me to walk around in a stained suit. I guess I would have to just take it off then", he replied, not taking his eyes off of Q who refused to rise to the bait. Controlling the telltale blush that was most assuredly travelling up his neck was a different story though. He rubs the back of his neck, looking away from 007's gaze.  
Suddenly, Q remembers where he is and that no less than thirty of his creepily alert employees are no doubt eavesdropping the best they could. Q leans back in his chair and wheels himself far away from Bond, who looks quite pleased at the effect he is making. Q glances at the small tablet strapped to his arm to read his alerts.

"M wants you to go to medical and then report to him", Q announces, "And next time, do make sure you at least bring one thing back intact."

"Wouldn't want to disappoint you again, now would I?", Bond whispers, startlingly close to Q's ear.

Q suppresses a shiver and doesn't look up until the automatic doors safely swooshes shut. Q lightly bangs his head on his desk. This is bad. 

It had started out just fine. Actually, it started out completely great. Q was nothing if not quick witted, and could easily keep up with 007's clever banter and derisive comments. Then one day, Eve, of course it was Eve, brought up the ridiculous notion of him fancying Bond. A completely ridiculous notion which Q could not get out of his head. And now Q dissolved into a puddle every time Bond was near, like an adolescent girl with her first crush. 007 would definitely appreciate the parallel.

Q's arm tablet vibrates, alerting him that he had another message. STOP MOPING, it reads. Q looks up to see Eve smirking knowingly at him.

"What do you want?", Q grumbles.  
"To watch you suffer.", Eve quips gleefully.

Q groans and yells for someone to make him more tea. Like hell if he is going to be bothered to actually get out of his chair today. Q gives Eve the finger and is soon distracted by a message on his tablet from M. Bond was leaving for another assignment tomorrow and needed some supplies. This means another sleepless night. Eve seems to get the same message on her mobile, so she rushes off in her clacking heels to do more of M's bidding. 

After Eve leaves, Q brings up the list of things 007 would need for his mission and opens up his design board program. Bond would need a need an updated tracker, and there was a new pen gadget that Q knew Bond would love. It didn't explode, but it did tell the user how many armed people were in the room. A shy programmer approaches slowly to fill Q's mug with Earl Grey, and Q gives her a genuine smile. When it comes down to the actual work, Q loves doing his job. It is just Bond that he needs to keep an eye out for.


	2. A Mission Without Q

Q worked twelve hours without a break developing the things that double-oh seven needs for this new mission, including a belt that emits a laser which cuts glass. His supply of tea is becoming dangerously low, and he seriously needs some sleep. Q looks at himself through the reflection of a darkened tablet. His hair is more wild than usual, he has stains on his shirt, and dark circles under his eyes.

Of course that is how Bond finds him. Bond of course, looks completely put together and stitched up again. Then again, Bond has had eight hours of sleep. 

"You should get more sleep", Bond comments dryly, his eyes skimming over the weapons that Q just handed him.

Q has to actively restrain himself from emitting an angry growl. It wouldn't do to start Bond off on the wrong foot right before the mission.

"I wouldn't mind seeing you in a bed", 007 adds with a wink, before he saunters off to complete whatever too-dangerous mission M has sent him on.

Q glares at the empty space that Bond leaves behind, and has to fight the impulse to just crumple to the floor and sleep there, but Bond would be arriving at his destination in an hour, and would need backup. Instead of sleeping, Q pulls himself out of his chair and stumbles to the bathroom. 

He hates Bond. He hates Bond and everything Bond stands for. Bond is clever, which is dangerous enough. But Bond is also a charmer, and Q wishes he were one of those few who happened to be immune to the effects of a good flattering, but he isn't. And if he cannot trust his own judgment around an agent with a clever tongue, then... Oh dear. Now he was thinking about Bond's tongue. Q groans and splashes cold water onto his face, then decides to take a shower since he has time.

The water pressure is shit, as usual. One would think that MI6 would get some things right, but apparently not. Q would have to fix that soon, but that would be a project for another day. He pulls on a clean shirt and trousers, leaving the cardigan in his office closet, it wouldn't be very cold in the office today since Tanner was in, and Tanner hated the cold.  
Q turns the corner and walks straight into, think of the devil, Tanner. Tanner doesn't look surprised to see a still slightly wet Quartermaster in front of him, and just nods.

"M is looking for you", Tanner informs.  
"Right", Q replies and runs off to see what M has in store for him this time. It better be a raise.  
It isn't a raise. It is something rather interesting though.

"Quartermaster", M greets.  
"M."

"You're going to go on a short vacation, starting today", M commands.  
"But Bond starts his mission today", Q replies.  
"Exactly."  
"M, are you firing me?", Q asks bluntly.  
"Quite the opposite, Q", M smiles, which is scary enough in itself. "You see, it has come to my attention that Bond is not listening to you enough when he is on his missions."

Q starts at that. Is M implying that his information isn't trustworthy? Or maybe that Bond doesn't respect him?  
M seems to read the questions on Q's mind and goes on. "It isn't anything you've done. Or that he has done either. I think everyone knows that your information is trustworthy. I think Bond knows that too, but I don't think that he realizes that he knows that, and until he does, he is always going to second guess your advice."

Q nods, just barely following along.

"So, the trick is to let him know what it feels like working with someone who he really doesn't trust, and then when you return, he will behave differently."  
"Isn't it a bit dangerous to leave him out in the field alone?", Q asks.  
"I'll be there with a team of your people that you can choose to assist. This should be a rather simple mission. You can spend the week doing what you like."

Q recognizes his dismissal and turns to leave. He isn't sure if it is smart to play mind games with James Bond, but an order is an order. He pulls up a list of the five most qualified people in his department and promptly decides to spend the rest of the day sleeping in his flat. No one can say he doesn't deserve a break. 

Q spends the rest of his week off worrying about Bond and how the mission is going. Eve stops by his flat once to see how he is doing, and the visit reeks of M checking up on him. Q says he is fine, and Eve clicks her tongue doubtfully, but leaves. Q is just at the point when he is about to hack his own security to see exactly what is taking Bond so long to complete this mission when he gets a text from Eve. HE'S BACK.

Normally, Q would just walk to the office or wait for the bus, but today he is not going to stand for any of that. He calls the MI6 vehicle which he knows is always right around the corner and uses his new computer program to divert traffic from his route. The trip that normally takes thirty minutes in traffic, takes ten, but the driver doesn't say anything, when Q bounds out of the car and speedily walks to the entrance of Q Branch. He half-heartedly waves at his department and hastily sits down. Then he attempts to relax in his chair and look as nonchalant as possible. Q is quite proud of himself when he does not pull up Bond's whereabouts in MI6, and instead, waits patiently for his appearance.

He doesn't have to wait long. The moment Q hears the doors swish open, he looks up to survey Bond's status. Bond looks terrible. He has a split lip and a blackened eye; he also seems to be limping, and a trail of drying blood is soaking through Bond's khaki trousers.

"Here to return your equipment, double-oh-seven?", Q asks, thanking God that his voice doesn't waver.

Bond blinks and then frowns, as if remembering why he is normally actually in Q Branch. He looks down at his empty hands, and answers in the negative. He then stumbles up the Q's desk.

"What on earth did you do to make M put you on leave?", Bond asks quietly.

This is an easy question to answer, Q is always doing things to piss M off.  
"I hacked his personal files and called his mother to let her know that he is in dire need of a family dinner.", Q replies with a smirk. 

Bond looks like he is about to smile, but then seems like he thinks better of it and just leans into Q's personal space.

"I thought this was supposed to be a simple mission?, Q asks.  
"It was a simple mission", Bond growls.  
"Just don't piss M off again", Bond commands.  
"Did you miss me?", Q smirks.

Bond just hobbles out of Q Branch and to what Q assumes to be debriefing.

"Well that was enlightening", Q thinks to himself. He attempts to hide his smile behind the safety of his Scrabble mug, and brings up the new schematics for a razor blade that doubles as a throwing knife.


	3. A Devious Plan

It is the third day after Bond returned from the mission, and Bond is sitting in an office chair in the corner Q Branch for no apparent reason. He looks oddly out of place, surrounded by scientists and inventors running around trying to meet the ridiculous quotas that M expects them to meet. 

Not that Q really minds that Bond is nearby, but it is incredibly distracting. Especially seeing as Bond keeps coughing lightly, as if Q needs a reminded that he is in the room. Q tries to concentrate on the untraceable pocket square map that he is designing. And it is an awesome map, if Q can say so himself, it only shows the correct directions to the reader if the reader folds and then opens the pocket square in the right sequence. But now Bond is staring again.

"Will you stop doing that!", he bursts out.  
"Doing what?", 007 doesn't even look ruffled as he quickly stalks over to Q's desk.  
"Looking at me.", Q answers, starting to feel rather awkward.  
"Now why would I stop doing that?", Bond asks, leaning closer.

The automatic doors open, and Q springs back as Eve Moneypenny bursts in. She has a devious smile on her face. 

"Miss Moneypenny", Bond greets, not moving from his position.

Q can feel the blush creeping up his neck and settling on his face. Bond slowly leans back and turns to look at Eve.

"Can I _help you_ , Miss Moneypenny?", Q grits out.  
"M wants to talk you, Q", she greets, pecking Q on the cheek. 

That does NOT help Q's blush. Q just follows her as she walks out of Q Branch, and he only turns around to say "If you don't mind, double-oh-seven".  
Bond just smirks and drawls, "Not at all, Quartermaster".

The moment they are out of sight, Q smacks Eve on the arm.  
"You embarrassed me on purpose!", he accuses.

Eve doesn't even try to hide her glee. 

"If you didn't fancy him, you wouldn't be overreacting right now.", she teases.  
"I do not fancy him!", Q yells, right before he realizes that he is now standing in front of M.

M does not look particularly amused. He actually frowns a bit and looks at Eve as if she's supposed to have some sort of answer for him, but Eve just smiles and shrugs, so M turns back to Q.

"I need you to do something that you will not want to do."

Q squints at M distrustfully. He does not like the sound of this. The last time that happened, he had to make Bond a pair of exploding shoelaces, and everyone knew how badly that turned out. 

"This actually has to do with Bond as well", M adds.

Whoops. Q did not mean to say that all out loud. Good thing he wasn't thinking anything embarrassing. He would have to work on his mind to mouth filter in the future.

Oh wait. The assignment has to do with Bond. Of course it does. Nearly everything in life that Q does not want to do has to do with Bond. And flying. 

"What is it you want me to do?", questions Q.  
"I need you to babysit Bond for the weekend."

Q lets out a startled laugh and then looks up to make sure that M isn't joking. M looks quite serious, and Q turns to see Eve's expression, and while it seems pretty evil, it doesn't look like they are playing a prank. Shit.

"What do you mean by babysit?", Q asks.  
"He needs to stay at your flat for at least tonight", M clarifies.  
"Absolutely not", Q hates having _anyone_ in his apartment. Least of all a double-oh agent trained to kill and maim each and every piece of equipment in his possession.

"Before you say anything else", M interrupts, "This is a one-time offer. I will sign off on any three projects that you want me to. Your choice. No budget limit."

Q's eyes widen. Three projects. He could finally spend the time and money to design intelligent flooring panels which would really improve security in his flat. And at MI6, of course. Ooh, and a new tracking device that even Bond couldn't destroy. And... 

M coughs politely, snapping Q out of his technology dreams. 

"I'll do it", Q announces.

M's lips twitch in what could possibly be construed as a smile and dismisses Q back to Q branch. Only after the wooden doors are safely closed after Q, does Eve Moneypenny speak.

"I never knew that 'M' stood for matchmaker", she teases.  
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Miss. Moneypenny", M answers calmly before stalking off into his office.


	4. Not a Bond Girl

"Apparently, I'm supposed to babysit you tonight", Q announces to Bond, who is _still_ in Q Branch.

Bond stops playing with one of the many stress balls littered across the room (the Q Branch employees tended to need to relieve stress quite often, and for good reason too), and peers at Q thoughtfully.

"I've never been babysat by a toddler before."

Q scowls back. 

"What did M have to promise you?", Bond asks with a smile.  
"Three projects. No questions."

Q may be imagining it, but it looks like Bond just flinched. He must be imagining it, although the agent does look slightly sick.

"Are you alright?", Q asks.

Bond's face quickly returns to normal, and he gets up from his seat. Q has no idea why Bond would sit for so long in his full suit and tie, but Q doesn't really know what is going on in Bond's head. 

"I'm fine", Bond says, a little unnecessarily and a bit late, "Are you ready to go?"

Q tells him that he will be in an hour or so, and when Bond gives him an exasperated look, he just sticks his tongue out. So what if he is being childish? Bond needs to respect the importance of his work.

Bond chuckles at that, and Q realizes that he's been speaking aloud again. Shit. This could be problematic if he doesn't fix that soon. Q rushes to finish up the few projects that he has open, and suddenly stops and realizes that Bond, 007, spy extraordinaire, is staying at his apartment tonight. 

Oh dear. Q nearly drops the mug of tea that he's been holding, and suddenly Bond is in his personal space, steadying his arm.

"You alright there, Quartermaster?"  
Q looks up into James Bond's stupid smug face.  
"I'm fine, double-oh seven. I'll be ready to go in a few minutes."  
"Looking forward to it", Bond replies. 

And was that a wink? Oh my GOD, Q is going to go insane. Q takes his time logging out of his system while he thinks about what is going to happen when they get back to their apartment. And there comes the blush again. But seriously, what are they going to do for dinner? Q isn't that great of a cook, and Bond doesn't seem like the cooking type. Would it be weird if they ordered take out. Oh God, why did Q think he could do this without making a horrible embarrassment of himself?

When Q looks up from the monitors, Bond is waiting patiently with Q's parka over his arm. Bond helps Q into the jacket and leads him out of Q Branch. Q ducks his head and hopes that no one is watching, even though he knows that everyone is.

The cab ride back to Q's apartment is short, and Bond pays the cab fare. They walk up the stairs and pause in front of the flat. Q takes a deep breath, and turns the key. Four separate scanners drop from the top of the door and scan Q's retinas, fingerprints, voice, and heart rate. Luckily, his heart rate isn't high enough to trigger the kidnapper protocols, because that would be very embarrassing. Bond doesn't seem surprised by the security, which helps Q relax a bit. They walk into the flat, and Bond doesn't attempt hide his curiosity as he glances around the room. 

"Are you hungry?", Q asks Bond.  
Bond raises an eyebrow, and smirks.  
"You have issues", Q says, rolling his eyes.

They decide on Chinese takeout, and bicker about each other's choices of food.

"Double-oh seven, that much grease seems incredibly unhealthy. Especially for someone your age", Q teases.  
"Really though, Q? Steamed shrimp and rice? Isn't that a bit dull, even for you?"  
"Are you calling me dull?", Q exclaims.  
"And boring. And addicted to your slightly-pointless job", Bond adds.  
"My job is not pointless!", Q argues heatedly.  
"I know", Bond says, "But you look cute when you're riled up."

Q turns bright red at that and nearly drops his food.

"You look cute when you're blushing too, by the way." 

Oh this is how they were going to play. Well then.

"007, are you trying to seduce me?", Q asks, feeling a bit more confident.  
"Is it working?"  
"I'm not just another one of those _Bond girls_ , you know.", Q reminds.  
"I can see that."  
"You know what I mean," Q tries his best not to roll his eyes, because he is actually quite serious about this.  
"I do love them, you know," Bond whispers. "People always talk like I'm some sort of use-them-and-lose-them guy, but when I'm with them, I do love them." 

Bond looks serious and it kind of breaks Q's heart.  
"I'm sorry," Q whispers back.  
"But I do want you," Bond says resolutely, "and you do matter to me."

Q pounces on Bond as soon as the words are out of his mouth. The kiss is electric, filled with restraint and sadness and promises. Bond pulls Q up from the couch and drags him into the nearest bedroom, which happens to be Q's, and they waste no time in undressing each other. Once they are both on the bed, Bond reaches over and switches off the light.


	5. Morning After

Q wakes up the next morning feeling fantastic and incredibly sore. Shit. He had sex with James Bond. He broke the cardinal rule of Quartermastering. And even worse, Bond is no longer in the bed. Q leans over to grab his glasses from the nightstand and checks what time it is. It is eight AM on a Saturday. 

But of course Bond would have run off. Q knew what kind of man the agent was. What was he expecting? Reading the paper over breakfast? Was this going to change their already slightly tense work relationship? What would Eve say? Anyway, no point in moping about when there is work to be done. Q yawns and stretches and pulls himself out of bed. He dresses in slightly wrinkled clothes and walks into the kitchen. A mug of tea, still steaming, is on the counter. 

_Not ready to walk out on you yet.  
007_

Q reads it and smiles.


	6. Epilogue

It is Bond's first mission since that first night at Q's apartment, and 007 is trapped on the roof of a skyscraper. It figures that he'd get caught in another impossible situation. Thirty armed men are rushing up three flights of stairs to keep Bond from escaping, and Q knows that even James Bond can't take on that many skilled fighters at once.

So that is why, when the angry assassins burst through the roof entrance, Q shouts "JUMP OFF THE BUILDING NOW!" 

Bond barely pauses before he takes a running leap off of the eighty story skyscraper. He free falls for a bit before a parachute opens and slows his descent.

"I didn't know you added a parachute to Bond's bulletproof vest", M mentions.  
"I didn't tell him either", Q says. 

He doesn't even attempt to hide his smile.


End file.
